U.S. Blockade Cuts Hormuz Traffic to 8 Ships as Brent Climbs 1.8%
Updated
Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
U.S. Blockade Cuts Hormuz Traffic to 8 Ships as Brent Climbs 1.8%
3 articles · Updated · The New York Times · Jul 17
Summary
Just eight ships transited the Strait of Hormuz on Thursday, the second full day of the reinstated U.S. naval blockade of Iran, down from 13 a day earlier and the lowest level in more than a month.
U.S. Central Command said American forces redirected three commercial vessels, disabled one that did not comply and boarded the Cook Islands-flagged tanker Wen Yao as renewed U.S.-Iran fighting stretched into a sixth straight day.
Brent crude rose 1.8% to $85-$86 a barrel and WTI gained 2% to above $80, while U.S. gasoline prices climbed 4 cents to $3.98 a gallon and diesel rose 5 cents to $5.06.
The disruption echoes the first blockade from April to mid-June, when U.S. forces redirected or disabled more than 149 ships, cutting off billions of dollars in Iranian oil revenue and rattling global equity markets again.
With the Strait choked, can either the US or Iran truly win this economic war?
Beyond oil, how is the Hormuz conflict crippling the world's tech and food supplies?
As global markets tumble, which nations are quietly benefiting from the escalating Gulf crisis?
U.S. Reinstates Naval Blockade on Iran: Economic Fallout, Energy Security Threats, and Diplomatic Deadlock in 2026
Overview
On July 14, 2026, the United States, led by President Donald Trump, reinstated a naval blockade on Iran, shifting from earlier plans to impose a reimbursement fee for ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The blockade targets all ships linked to Iranian ports or cargo, aiming to pressure Tehran after a period of escalating tensions that began with U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iranian targets in February 2026. This move has already caused oil prices to rise and disrupted global trade, highlighting the blockade’s immediate economic impact and its role in a broader strategy to influence Iran’s actions in the region.